Then he ‘sent the project’ he’d been working on for years – a free solo ascent (where the climber ascends without ropes or protection) of the 3000-plus feet Freerider on El Capitan in California’s Yosemite Valley.

Alex in London, August 2017

It was immediately hailed as one of the greatest climbing accomplishments in history, both among his incredulous peers and the wider public at large. And it immediately catapulted Alex into a new stratosphere of fame and notoriety.

Another view of Alex on Freerider. Photo: Jimmy Chin

So when I was invited along to interview Alex during a flying visit to London, a scant two months after this historic achievement, I headed on up to town to get a first-hand account from the man himself.

Listen out for:

Alex on Freerider – how he prepared, how he knew he was ready, and how he felt once he knew he was going to make it.